PHY 2048 - Physics 1 with Calculus - Spring 2014
Grading Policy
Final Score Determination
Your final score (100 points max) is the sum of the following:
| Source | Points | How calculated | ||
| Combined Homework+Quiz | 40 |
See below | ||
| Exam 1 | 20 |
(20/20)*(exam score out of 20) | ||
| Exam 2 | 20 |
(20/20)*(exam score out of 20) | ||
| Final Exam | 20 |
(20/20)*(exam score out of 20) | ||
| Total | 100 |
However, extra credit is possible by answering H-ITT class participation questions (5 points maximum)
Homework
There are homework assignments due most Saturdays at 10PM (see schedule) on the Wiley Plus homework system. For most problems you get 5 tries to get the problem correct. To be counted correct you must be within 2% of the correct answer, so keep enough significant digits. Each student gets a unique set of numbers on his/her problems. Your homework score is combined with your subsequent quiz score as described below. There are no extensions on the homework, but there is a foregiveness policy also described further below. You are strongly encouraged to start entering your homework answers well ahead of the deadline. If you have an unforeseen technical difficulty like a down internet connection or computer virus causes you to miss the deadline, you will receive zero for that assignment. If you start early enough, any technical problem can be overcome.
Quizzes
The quiz in your discussion section will be related but not identical to a homework problem from the most recently due homework set from WileyPlus. The particular problem given in each discussion section is chosen at random so sometimes it will be an easier problem and sometimes a harder problem. Each section will get a different problem. The homework assignments covered by each quiz are listed below. The first quiz (labeled "Quiz 1/2") covers the first two homework assignments.
| Quiz | Homework Covered on Quiz |
| Quiz 1/2 | HW1 and HW2 |
| Quiz 3 | HW3 |
| Quiz 4 | HW4 |
| Quiz 5 | HW5 |
| Quiz 6 | HW6 |
| Quiz 7 | HW7 |
| Quiz 8 | HW8 |
| Quiz 9 | HW9 |
| Quiz 10 | HW10 |
| Quiz 11 | HW11 |
| Quiz 12 | HW12 |
| Quiz 13 | HW13 |
You will be permitted no more than 2 documented (e.g. medical note) absences from the discussion sections, with make-ups for missed quizzes to take place at the first opportunity determined by your TA. The documentation must be provided to your TA within 2 weeks of the missed quiz or a rational reason that it will be delayed must be e-mailed along with the projected receipt date of the documentation to both your TA and to the instructors within those 2 weeks. All quizzes must be made up prior to the last day of classes (Apr.23).
Combined Homework and Quiz grade
Your homework and quiz scores are combined to form a grade each week:
Week Score = [ (fH + fQ)2 ] / 4
where fH = (HW points) / (max HW points)
and fQ = (Quiz points) / (max Quiz points)
If fQ ≥ 0.9, then we will take fH = 1. In other words, if you demonstrate mastery of the homework content by scoring in the top 10% of your quiz score, it doesn't matter what your homework score was that week. But do keep in mind that to do well on the quizzes and the exams, you should understand how to solve the homework problems!
The total combined homework and quiz grade is then computed from the sum over all 13 weekly scores, divided by 13 (for 13 homework assignments), and multiplied by 40 points. Since there is one less quiz than homework assignments, the homework score from HW1 will be used soley the first Week Score, whereas Quiz 1/2 will be used for HW2. To provide a measure of forgiveness for illnesses and other challenges that life throws at you, this total score will be divided by 0.9 at the end of the semester. (But you can not receive more than the 40 points maximum).
Grade = (40/0.9) * (Σ Week Scores)/13
Why do we combine the homework and quiz scores in this way? We want to encourage you to do the homework and understand it. The subsequent quiz in your discussion section will test you on one of those homework questions. If you understood the material, you should do well on both the homework and the quiz, and your combined grade will be high. You will get credit for doing the online homework (worth a minimum of 25% of your score), but to get the maximum points you need to do well on both homework and quizzes.
Exam grade
There are a total of three exams, two during-term exams and a final exam given at the end of the semester. (The final exam is cumulative). The dates and chapter coverage are given on the schedule page. All during term exams are evening exams. Exam questions will be taken from a number of sources, including, but not limited to, the textbook, lectures and assigned problems. Exam format is multiple choice using Scantron sheets. The answer which you bubble in on the Scantron is the one we grade. If you make an error bubbling in an answer and miss a question, then you do not receive credit for the question. On the other hand, if you guess a question and get it correct even though you did not know how to do the problem, then you get credit for the problem. Each exam has 20 questions and is worth 20 points.
What material you are allowed to bring to the exam is described here.
Unless superseded by a valid excuse a missed exam will result in a zero. Valid excuses are officially sanctioned UF events, medical excuses or family emergencies. Acceptable excuses will require a coach's, doctor's or instructor sanctioned note with a verifiable contact phone number. The documentation must be provided to your instructor within 2 weeks of the missed exam or a rational reason that it will be delayed must be e-mailed along with the projected receipt date of the documentation within those 2 weeks. A valid excuse will allow you to take the cumulative make-up exam to replace the zero on the missed exam. There will be one cumulative make-up exam (covering material from both during-term exams and the final exam) given at the end of the semester (date and time to be determined).
Students who need special accomodations due to a disability must receive a letter from the Disability Resource Center and present it to one of the instructors at least four days prior to the exam.
H-ITT grade
Participation in answering questions during lectures is optional using the H-ITT response system, but can earn up to a maximum of 5 extra credit points on your grade if you achieve 100% of the maximum possible H-ITT score. Normally a remote "clicker" device is used to register your answers, although there is now a web-based "SoftClick" system so that you can use any web-enabled smart device. For each posed H-ITT question in class, you will receive 2 points for a correct answer and one point for just responding. When you respond to a question, your remote identification number will appear on the screen to show you that your remote is working. At the end of the semester we will divide your total score by 0.9 to allow for any absences, broken remotes, late answers, etc. The ratio of your score to the maximum possible points determines your fraction of the 5 extra credit points. (You can not get more than 5 points this portion of the grade.)
Note that you can expect some technical problems during the semester such as having a dead battery in your remote (or no network service if using "SoftClick"). You are responsible for maintaining the functioning of your remote. No credit will be given for questions in class if you forget your remote or it is not working or you do not respond to the question in the allotted time. You may not bring anyone else's transmitter to class if that person is also taking this course. Doing so violates our academic honesty policy, and the incident will be filed with the Dean of Student's Office.
We will email your scores for the student response questions once a week, assuming that you do the required registration of your remote. To receive credit for your responses, your remote number must be registered on the H-ITT registration page.
Letter Grade
Total minimal scores (out of 100 points) ensuring a particular letter-grade are shown below (grades are not rounded). Note that this scale is absolute and will not be adjusted to a curve. This ensures that there is no competition between students.
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Keeping track of your grade
You will be given your scores for each component of the course in a timely manner, and it is your responsibility to keep a record of them to know how you are doing in the course.
- You will be e-mailed your H-ITT scores approximately once a week.
- Your homework scores are available from Wiley Plus.
- Your quiz scores are on the graded quizzes, which are handed back to you in discussion section. They are also available on the E-Learning system for this course. You should keep your quizzes as a reference and also in case there is a discrepancy between the score you see on E-Learning and the one on your graded paper.
- Your exam scores will also be posted to E-Learning, and you will receive your question sheet and any scrap paper from the exam not long after the exam has been graded.
Students with disabilities
Students requesting classroom accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation before an exam.